If the banquet before felt hostile, this felt like walking into a den of predators.
The grand dining hall of the Bloodfang Court wasn't just large — it was overwhelming. Golden chandeliers dripped with crimson‑tinted crystals that caught the Blood Moon's light, throwing eerie reflections across the polished obsidian floor.
And every single person in that room was staring at me.
Not just staring. Assessing.
Prey.
The whispers started before I even crossed the threshold.
"Another Chosen?""She won't last the night.""Pity. She's pretty enough."
Selene's hand on my arm was the only thing keeping me moving.
"Smile," she murmured.
I wanted to tell her to go to hell.
But then I saw Kael.
He was seated at the far end of the table, dressed in black so deep it seemed to drink in the light. A simple silver crown rested against his dark hair — understated, yet it radiated more authority than anything I'd ever seen.
When his gaze found mine, the room went quiet.
"Come," he said.
His voice wasn't loud, but it didn't need to be. It carried.
Selene guided me to the seat beside him, her touch as gentle as a leash.
I sat, heart hammering.
Kael didn't look at me again.
The feast began.
Servants — silent, efficient — filled the table with platters of meat dripping in their juices, bowls of fruits I didn't recognize, goblets of wine as dark as blood.
I picked at the food, my appetite nonexistent.
It didn't matter.
Every time I lifted my head, I caught someone watching me.
Some with amusement.
Some with hunger.
Some with open hatred.
And beneath it all… pity.
"Tell me, Prince Kael," a smooth voice drawled from further down the table.
My stomach clenched.
It was the fox‑faced noble from the last banquet — the one Kael had nearly killed for speaking out of turn.
He didn't look afraid now.
"Why bring this to the Court?" He gestured lazily toward me. "Surely the Blood Moon could've chosen someone more… worthy."
A ripple of laughter followed.
Kael didn't move.
Didn't blink.
But the air shifted.
The temperature dropped.
"Careful," Kael said softly.
The noble smirked. "Why? Will you kill me here? In front of everyone?"
"If I must."
The table went silent.
The noble's smirk faltered, but he didn't back down. "You'd risk blood in the hall over her? A human who'll die before the Choosing anyway?"
There it was again.
The Choosing.
My hands curled into fists under the table.
Kael stood.
In less than a breath, he was across the table, his claws at the noble's throat.
"I said," Kael murmured, so softly it was almost kind, "careful."
The noble's face turned ashen. "My… apologies, Prince Kael."
Kael released him, wiping his claws on the man's silk sleeve like he was dirt.
"Disrespect her again," Kael said, returning to his seat, "and I won't stop at your throat."
The noble didn't speak again.
My heart still hadn't slowed when I felt Kael's gaze on me.
"You shouldn't look so frightened," he said quietly, for my ears alone.
"Shouldn't I?"
He tilted his head, studying me. "You're still alive. That's more than most."
I swallowed hard. "Most what?"
He didn't answer.
As the feast dragged on, I learned more from whispers than from Kael.
The Choosing wasn't just a tradition. It was an execution dressed as a ritual.
"She won't survive it," someone whispered.
"No one ever does," another murmured.
I wanted to scream at them. Demand they tell me what it was.
But then Kael leaned close, his voice a low rumble.
"Stop listening."
"I can't."
"Then learn to."
My jaw tightened. "Why won't you tell me what the Choosing is?"
His expression didn't change. "Because knowing won't save you."
"Then what will?"
For the first time, his gaze softened.
"Obedience."
After the feast, I didn't try to leave first. I waited.
But Kael caught my arm as I stood.
"Walk with me."
I had no choice.
The corridors were quiet as we moved, Selene trailing a few paces behind like a shadow.
Kael's grip on my wrist wasn't painful. But it wasn't gentle either.
Finally, I yanked free. "Why do you keep dragging me around like I belong to you?"
He stopped walking.
"Because you do."
My chest tightened. "You can't just—"
He turned to me, his expression unreadable. "Do you think I wanted this?"
That stopped me.
"What?"
"This bond," Kael said quietly. "It's not my choice either."
I stared at him, unsure if I believed him.
"You have a role to play," he said. "Survive the Choosing, and maybe you'll understand."
"And if I don't?"
His silver eyes glinted. "Then you'll end up like the last one."
My stomach turned. "The last what?"
"Chosen," Kael said simply.
My blood ran cold.
"What happened to her?"
"She lasted three days."
"Before what?" I whispered.
His gaze cut through me.
"Before the Choosing devoured her."
Cliffhanger:What exactly is the Choosing — and why is Kael so certain she'll fail?